Nrc: Surry Nuclear Station Greatly Improved

SURRY — Two years after the Surry nuclear power station was placed on a list of problem plants, federal regulators Monday said Virginia Power has made great strides in improving the plant's condition.

``I don't know of any station that I've been involved with who has turned around as rapidly as Surry has,'' said Stewart Ebneter, administrator of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atlanta-based Region II, which includes Virginia. ``Everybody's working together.''

``It's a team effort that really helped turn us around,'' said William L. Stewart, Virginia Power's vice president for nuclear power.

NRC officials met with top Virginia Power executives at the Surry plant to discuss the results of a 12-month evaluation in which the facility improved in four of seven areas. In 1989, the plant earned the lowest rating in five of the areas. About 130 people - including NRC and company officials and station employees - attended Monday's 75-minute meeting.

The company has 30 days to make comments on the report, but it doesn't plan to contest the rankings, said James T. Rhodes, Virginia Power's president and chief executive officer.

The Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance, covering April 1, 1990, to March 30, gave the plant Category 1 ratings designating superior performance in three areas and Category 2 ratings designating good performance in the four others.

``These improvements indicate good management responsiveness,'' Ebneter said. ``Surry now identifies more of their problems than the NRC does.''

But he said the report indicated a need to more promptly submit NRC filings and better plan for routine maintenance, including making sure the plant had an adequate supply of parts.

Luis Reyes, director of reactor projects for the NRC's Region II, commended Virginia Power officials for improving the ratings in four areas while maintaining superior performance in two areas and good performance in the other. ``That is a very difficult task,'' Reyes said.

The NRC urged improvement in several areas, including the physical condition of the plant, to reduce radiological contamination and equipment problems.

Officials acknowledged the plant had made significant progress since the last report and was continuing to improve its condition. Plant managers agreed with the NRC findings and said they were working on revisions.

M.R. Kansler, station manager, said since the report was completed employees have reduced the maintenance backlog and improved planning and scheduling. ``It does indicate that our progress is moving like we like it to,'' he said.

The Surry plant was fined $500,000 and put on the NRC's problem list in June 1989 after a series of safety violations.